The Coffee Shack

Cafes key icon.
Cafes key icon.

Monday6:30 am – 1:00 pm.

Tuesday6:30 am – 1:00 pm.

Wednesday6:30 am – 1:00 pm.

Thursday6:30 am – 1:00 pm.

Friday6:30 am – 1:00 pm.

Saturday8:00 am – 1:00 pm.

SundayClosed.

75 Brownston St, Wānaka

021 635 584

Proof that good things come in small packages, The Coffee Shack serves up some of the best coffee in town from its pocket-sized interior. A converted garage, The Coffee Shack has kept some of its original look — the sideways rolling door doubles as a blackboard coffee menu — and what this place lacks in height, it sure makes up for in reputation.

It’s no small feat being called the best coffee maker in town, but from the 85% graded green coffee beans to the perfectly steamed milk (take your pick from the delicious selection of almond, macadamia, soy, coconut, oat, regular or trim), owner and operator Bonnie deserves the title. The small team are expert baristas, and Bonnie is one of those impressive people who can steam milk, take your order, compliment your dog and look calm while doing so, which is not so surprising when you learn she’s been making perfect cups of the good stuff for over 12 years.

Keen to keep Wānaka looking beautiful, The Coffee Shack plays its part when it comes to takeaways by offering Twiice edible (biscuit!) cups, a discount for those who bring their own cup and even a ‘cup deposit’ where for $1 you can borrow a ceramic cup and return it next time you’re there to receive your money back. A small selection of sweet and savoury goods is the ideal accompaniment to your coffee; Bonnie makes the sweet loaf herself.

Like fellow hospitality spots in Wānaka, this place has community written all over it. Canine friends are more than welcome and doggy treats might materialise for the pups who really know how to play the cute card.

Online ordering via an app or the website means busy working locals or those heading up the mountain can order a good coffee on the run, but if you’re planning on drinking in, the beanbags and squab-covered crate seats out front are an easy place to dally a while.

Words by Rosie Morrison & Photography by Anna Briggs

Information not correct? Report an error

Location

75 Brownston St, Wānaka

Nearby Places

Kamino

The brick and glass exterior of Kamino cafe in Wanaka.
Place Wānaka
Cafes key icon.

If you don’t know where Kamino is in the Star Wars galaxy, never fear.

Kai Whaka Pai

Customers sitting on tables outside the bar.
Place Wānaka
Bars key icon.

An absolute town institution, this place is humming with people Monday to Sunday, winter through to summer.

arc

High angle view of a person cutting into a fish and citrus dish, wine and other dishes on the table at arc, Wānaka.
Place Wānaka
Cafes key icon. Restaurants key icon.

Owners of Wānaka restaurant arc, James Stapley and Sam Cooper know a thing or two about what makes a good eatery.

Scroggin

Two savoury dishes, a savoury, filled croissant, a milky coffee and mug of tea on the table at Scroggin, Wānaka.
Place Wānaka Editor's Pick
Cafes key icon.

With a Scandinavian-inspired fit-out to match the mountains and adventures to be had in Wānaka, you'll quickly understand why this coffee and eatery’s tagline is ‘Gather, feast, stay for a while.’

Similar Places

Hook Wānaka - Lake to Plate

Fishing rods on display.
Place Wānaka
Restaurants key icon.

Fast becoming ‘the thing to do in Wānaka’, Hook provides a unique lake-to-plate experience of catching your own Chinook salmon from spring-fed waters.

hello RANGER

A plate of lamb koftas, flatbreads and tzatziki on a table at hello RANGER with a pint of beer and other plates in the background.
Place Wānaka
Restaurants key icon.

Just like any good park ranger, hello RANGER is the heart of its community, there to take care of adventurous people before and after their journeys.

Bistro Gentil

A meat dish on the table, surrounded by two other savoury dishes, glasses of wine and clean side plates.
Place Wānaka
Restaurants key icon.

A fine-dining restaurant boasting a love affair with French cuisine, Bistro Gentil serves excellent meals in a beautiful, sultry interior.

Rhyme x Reason

Groups of people sitting inside drinking beers in the sunshine in the high-ceilinged Rhyme and Reason taproom in Wānaka.
Place Wānaka
Bars key icon.

A brewery slash tasting room and bar, visit this sunny spot for a pint or fill up a rigger for takeaway.